The Month in Grime / Dubstep

Lately it would be easy to assume that dubstep = halfstep. Indeed lots of recent dubstep sets are dominated by this style, which uses one snare per bar and is designed to give a slower, skanked out feel. Mala Digital Mystikz's recent set, however, performed at Forward>>-- a vastly smaller venue than he's now used to playing-- was gloriously rhythmically diverse.

Premiering a ton of dubplate weightline freshness, his FWD>> appearance was an excursion in polyrhythmic delight. From the off-4/4 of "Anti War Dub (version)" to the interrupted house rhythms of "Hunter", it worked a treat and played on the strength of having three producers all in rich form.

Mala's long since pioneered the "up" vibe in dubstep through "Neverland" and "Anti War Dub", in delicious contrast to Loefah's ultra dark "down." A keen house fan, he could have simply injected four kicks on the beat, and made house at 138bpm. Instead he took the interesting route.

One dub, with an unmistakeable "BURY THE BWOY!" sample in it, takes polyrhythm literally, with galloping kicks coming across like two tracks mixed out of phase. Try mixing a third track outta that?

One of the criticisms of halfstep is that it lacks energy, and last year steps were taken to respond to this. On some tracks, notably Coki DMZ and Skream's remix of DMZ's "Ancient Memories" (out soon on DMZ), the rapid fluctuation of the bass became a real vibe-driver, propelling ravers towards skank-heaven. Tonight was no exception, with Mala showcasing a new Coki riddim that wobbled the b-line until the roof shook. With the drums almost inaudible, it was almost like a beatless Wiley Devil Mix, but with the synths driven from East London through the dark, choking Blackwall tunnel into Southside Croydon-style sub bass regions. When Wiley did it in early grime circa 2003 it was the MC's bark that drove the rave. In dubstep 2006, excessively mutating bass waves do the same.

But in this sea of dubstep Devil migrations and offkilter offbeats, one slab of halfstep minimalism stood out like a mile. The tune of the night-- the one that made jaws hit the floor-- was Loefah's remix of Vex'd "Third Choice".

Minimalism is a tricky game. When you pick fewer elements you've got to get them right. Get them wrong, the crowd is waiting for the next tune from your intro. Get them right, and it's bliss. Loefah's "3rd Choice" remix is a dark, twisted kind of bliss, but amid his pain there's pleasure. Based around an old school bass stab, part bleep techno, part 96 Metalheadz, part grungy 2steppers-- take your pick-- Mala only played a few minutes of this seven minute remix that was finished just that day. Has Loe topped his own "Mud?"

///

Disclosure alert! The following copy is on a project I've been involved with and want to bring you world exclusive news of, right here. Since Skream's "Request Line", the success of the DMZ nights and Mary Anne Hobbs' Dubstep Warz show the explosion in interest in dubstep has been unprecedented in its six year history. Users on the Dubstep forum tripled to 1,500-- pretty amazing given most dubstep pressings couldn't shift more than 300 units as little as two years ago.

You'd be forgiven amid the hyperbole for thinking a new scene had been born - when in fact Croydon's finest have been struggling away for six years or more. And while the scene's current stars and hot up-and-comers are undoubtedly burning brightly, the sound also has a rich past.

Over the last four months I've been working on a project entitled "Ammunition and Blackdown present...The Roots of Dubstep" for Tempa. The plan is to re-present the best of the now lost or obscure early dubstep 12"s. The selection will draw from proto-dubstepper Steve Gurley, go through the best of El-B's Ghost Camp, Zed Bias, Artwork, Horsepower, Skream and Benga, and end at the first Digital Mystikz anthem-- perhaps a beginning of a new phase, if ever a line can be drawn. We've spent months agonising over which tracks have stood the test of time instead of those that merely sounded big back in the day at Forward>> over the Velvet Room soundsystem. We've tracked down lost producers to prize mixed masters from their vaults. There will be an unmixed CD, so the productions can be heard in all their glory. There will also be a vinyl doublepack featuring two out-of-press classics and two still unreleased anthems dropping in early June.

Back in the Velvet Rooms days and before (circa 1999-2001), it is important to remember there wasn't a name for this sound. It evolved out of the dominant UK garage scene, where saccharine-sweet vocal 2step would sit next to Todd Edwards 4/4, DJ Zinc's breakbeat garage experiments mixed into Narrows' caustic Belgian rave or Timo Maas' remix of house anthem "Dooms Night". It was an exciting time for London's diversity of 138 bpm sounds.

As the Velvet Room sessions took garage in a more concerted, darker direction, its mix of dark 2step ("nu dark swing"), breakbeat garage, and proto-grime (also then known as "8bar" or "east beat") was for a while collectively referred to as "The Forward>> sound." At this time all parts of the dark garage spectrum influenced each other. Current dubstep purist Youngsta played mostly 8bar, and Wookie's "Storm" and majestic "Far East" were Forward>> anthems. Slaughter Mob played Ghost dubs. Oris Jay evolved from his 2step roots to produce breakier hits like "Confused" and "Said the Spider". And that doesn't even cover Lanslide, Jay Da Flex, and Zed Bias' broken beat/dubstep fusions.

It's recently come to light that it was Ammunition who first coined the term "dubstep", doing it in a press release supplied to XLR8R magazine, for a feature on Ghost and Horsepower Productions. It was subsequently used on the DJ Hatcha CD Dubstep Allstars, Vol 1. The Roots of Dubstep, therefore, documents strictly what the term dubstep refers to, and not the other shades of the Forward>> sound. For decent early breakbeat garage compilations, check the Bingo catalog. For proto-grime track down Slimzee's mix for Ministry, downloads of the N.A.S.T.Y. Crew's N.A.S.T.Y. Sessions, or early grime sets (there's an early N.A.S.T.Y. one here as part of my Dizzee Rascal interview).

The next Dubstep Allstars will be a double CD, with one disc each mixed by Youngsta and Hatcha. Legendary dubplate cutting house Transition is starting a dubstep label, which is perfectly sensible since most of the London 12"s are mastered there. The first release should be Skream v Distance "Wise Men". Distance is also working on an album for Planet Mu. Pinch's "Punisher" is also dropping on Mu. Portugal's Numestro and 23Hz will be releasing a four-track vinyl EP late May, on 213 Underground. This will include the super subby "Galleon Dub". Scuba's crisp'n'clean electronica/dubstep excursions continue with the mournful "Dreams" dropping soon. Dub Police, Quiet Storm's label, is dropping the Caspa EP, including the lush "Cockney Flute". Burial's much anticipated debut album is out in May on Hyperdub. Finally, the BBC have done an excellent documentary and online hub on dubstep, check it here. Who likes me hat?

///

Being real, grime seems less exciting than it has been for a while. Skepta's "Duppy" is still fun but let's hope the album doesn't get longed out. Beacons of hope are Newham Generals, a gully trio of artist/producer/MCs signed to Dizzee's Dirtee Stank label. While their mixtape has also been longed out, of great consolation is the news that they're planning a third longplayer, alongside the mix CD and full album. It's called Best of Newhams and will be a one-hour mix with a DVD featuring classic and unreleased tracks. The package is a joint Dirtee Stank/Capo from Lord of the Decks venture. Given their collective achievements, that's a big prospect. Dizzee himself has been booked to support the Red Hot Chili Peppers-- talk about reaching a new audience and putting in "work."

The revolution of the youngers in grime continues, with names not familiar from the early 2003 era now significantly impacting some of the scene's core touch points, like Logan Sama's show and Wiley's Eskimo Dance (held outside of Greater London because the police wont let it happen inside). Looking at that lineup, Big H, Scorcher, Rugrat, Hyperfen, Devlyn, Temps, and Shizzle all represent part of what seems increasingly like a coherent new wave, with Roadside Gees (South London MCs who sound spookily like fellow South but now defunct So Solid), Mercston, and Ribz joining them as MCs getting more attention right now, but I'm not convinced they're all coming with bars and beats better than their elders.

Wiley has always been a man for bringing through new talent, with Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Trim, Skepta, and JME among his mighty protégés. He extends this good will-- if entering into the gangsta bear pit that is "Eskimo Dance" is "good will"-- by subtitling the event the "16 bar challenge." Four unknown MCs , after submitting their demos to Wiley's HQ, will get their chance to clash the biggest MCs in the game.

With 16 bars to prove themselves, it's unlikely Kano-style intricate wordplay will get them a reload. More likely is the hyper exaggerated, signature lyrical hook that most MCs use. Temps' is particularly vicious, a simple bone crushing "SWIIIIING...BANG HIM!" Awesome in a rave. Useless for getting national airplay. What do MCs really want?